1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical and laboratory equipment, and more particularly to a new compact hybrid stethoscope that combines a traditional acoustic stethoscope and a sophisticated electronic stethoscope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years, acoustic stethoscopes have been commonly used by doctors and nurses in ausculation; i.e., listening to sounds made within the body to diagnose any abnormal condition present in the body. Electronic stethoscopes were introduced thereafter to isolate and make audible auscultory sounds to make diagnosis easier. One of such electronic stethoscopes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,810 to Alan John Adler. The electronic stethoscope of the Adler patent is directed to detecting the stenosis- induced sounds. The stenosis is a narrowing of the diameter of a body tube, and its sounds have an exceedingly low intensity and a close relationship to the ordinary heart sounds. It is made up of a sophisticated microphone, a preamplifier, a band-pass filter, an output amplifier, and a headphone.
My investigation has revealed that doctors and nurses want their stethoscopes to look, feel, and operate like the traditional acoustic stethoscopes with which they are familia, while permitting them to listen to auscultory sounds with greater volume and clarity than previously possible with other portable stethoscopes. It also has been shown that doctors and nurses are so busy that they tend to forget to turn off the electronic stethoscope after each use. A dead battery often results, rendering the electronic stethoscope inoperable when needed, and making the doctor embarassed and reluctant to again use an electronic stethoscope.